Battersea Park , Queenstown Rd , SW11

This park has some lovely surfaces, a playground, a lake (boat hire available), a children's zoo, a cafe, tennis courts, and playing fields. The park often gets a visit in street skates. Doing laps of the circular road is fun and is good for building stamina: 'okay, just one more lap!' Watch out for wet leaves and fallen twigs in the winter and for pot holes generally. There are lots of events held in Battersea Park e.g. community fairs, art fairs and puppet shows. And if you get tired when skating, why not take a break on the steps of the Japanese Peace Pagoda by the Thames . The view is lovely.

Green Park/St. James's Park/Buckingham Palace , South of Piccadilly, SW1

Constitution Hill and The Mall separate the two parks and both roads figure prominently in street skates. Practising in front of Buckingham Palace by the Queen Victoria memorial can be fun; the tourist are easily impressed which does wonders for your confidence, but this area can get very crowded.

Hyde Park , Bayswater Rd , W2

Skater's Mecca - if you only go to one park to skate then this has to be it.

The serpentine road is the place to head for. On a sunny day, with the wind coming at you off the water and some good music in your ears you feel amazing. You'll meet loads of people there all year round, pick up tips and find an instructor. They'll be happy to speak with you and you may even be able to arrange a lesson to start straight away. The lower end is popular with the quad skaters and they are a joy to watch. There is a cafe half way down the road and three smaller coffee & sandwich vendors dotted along the road.

 

Kensington Gardens , Kensington Rd , London W8

West of Hyde Park : go over the bridge across the Serpentine and turn right into the park. This is a popular park and has blader friendly, well maintained paths. Some areas are off limits to skaters (enforced with a fine - if they can catch you). The Broadwalk, just in front of Kensington Palace , is were all the skating action is. Here you'll see the best and fastest cup action in London . The speed at which these skaters can nip in and out of a line of twenty plastic cups will take your breath away. There is plenty of space to relax, art galleries, and an elaborate sunken gardens.

Regent's Park , Marylebone and Prince Albert Rds W1

Pretty park and worth a visit but for skating it's not as good as Hyde Park or Kensington Park . The Outer Circle feature in a number of street skates.

Finsbury Park

Popular with in-line speed skaters who meet on Sundays at 12pm .

Stockwell/Brixton , Skateboard park, Stockwell road (Brixton end)

Free entry

Dulwich Park

Smooth pathways but tends to be overcrowded. The perimeter road is good for skating, since the cars travelling slowly and are skater friendly.

Crystal Palace Park

Smooth wide pathways but leafy in autumn.

Herne Hill Cycle Track

This is popular with the 5 wheelers It is a new banked track for bicycle racing.

Richmond Park

The central paths of good tarmac but it can get crowded at weekends.

Marble Hill Park

Smooth paths

River Crane Walk, Twickenham

Smooth flat pathway next to a stream. Very pretty, next to a nature reserve but it can get crowded with dog walkers.